Just Add Water
by witzelsucht
Summary: Cursed hot spring. Tainaka Ritsu. Mix them both together and what have you got? Ritsu One-half! How much change can gender-changing bring?
1. Summary!

Read Me! XD : In a desperate attempt to retrieve copies of the first four chapters of this fanfic, I've uploaded again the only chapter I managed to find. It also happens to be the latest chapter I've finished. I'd really appreciate it if someone could provide me with copies of the missing chapters, so if you guys happen to have ANY of them at all, hope you could share 'em with me. I'd also like to apologize in advance for uploading an incomplete story. I know that it could be very frustrating on your part. I'll try to make up for it with this I-don't-know-how-well-it-is-written summary.

Oh yeah, before that, I obviously don't own K-ON! nor Ranma ½. Like duh!

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><p>The story so far:<p>

After a three-week vacation in China, Tainaka Ritsu returns to school with the biggest change she's ever experienced in her life; a "special" kind of change that can only be brought about by the cursed hot springs of Jusenkyo. Despite this rather unpleasant change, she eagerly meets with her band mates without informing them of her return. Her surprise plan backfires when they throw a welcome back party for her in their clubroom right after class. Still, even more surprising was the sudden presence of the uninvited Sawa-chan!

Ahem! Going back, the members of Houkago Tea Time excitedly ask Ritsu of her adventures in China while enjoying their share of tea and treats. For fear of exposing her secret, she only gives a brief account of her vacation and then redirects the whole conversation to the happenings in the club during her absence. She succeeds in her attempt, and no one questions her further until the end of the party. They then part ways after, and it seems that Ritsu was able to pull off with her act. That is, until Mio straightforwardly asks if Ritsu was hiding something from her. Despite Ritsu's denials, Mio persists with her questioning. Ritsu finally blurts out that she has a lover, sending Mio away in a flurry of tears. Ritsu immediately regrets what she said, but decides not to follow Mio for the time being.

Hours passed after her confrontation with Mio. Ritsu finally decides to send her a text message, but gets no reply. In an effort to contact Mio, she calls up her best friend's house. To her alarm, she finds out that Mio hasn't arrived yet. She quickly runs out of the house while instructing Satoshi to lock all the doors until she returns. Satoshi shouts at Ritsu to bring an umbrella, but she was already too far to hear him.

With adrenaline coursing through her body and the worst scenarios flashing in her mind, Ritsu frantically runs to the place she suspects her best friend to be. She finally arrives at the playground she and Mio used to frequent in their childhood. She quickly spots Mio on one of the swings. But she is not alone. Just behind her, two men are slowly creeping up to her, with only one thing on their minds…

Ritsu rushes at them, takes them by surprise and knocks one of them down. She goes for the other one and starts to beat him up. In her frenzy, she fails to realize that rain is already pouring down heavily. Just when it seems that Ritsu has the upper hand, Mio lets out a scream. The man he has knocked out earlier already regained consciousness and is pinning Mio to the ground. The man who Ritsu is fighting takes advantage of the distraction and stabs Ritsu's arm with a pocketknife. He then returns all the punches he has received until he beats Ritsu to the ground. Another cry comes from Mio. She pleads the man to spare her. The man only responds maliciously. That's when Ritsu set off like a time bomb. He goes berserk and starts beating the man on top of him even worse than before, this time making sure that he gets unconscious for a long time. He heads for the man on Mio, and beats him to a bloody pulp as well.

Ritsu then pulls out the pocketknife still on his arm, ignoring the pain, and is about to finish the man off. A voice from behind implores him to stop. Realizing what he is about to do, he drops the pocketknife and goes to Mio's side. Though disheveled, she assures him that she's okay. As they hug each other, Mio notices some changes in Ritsu. However, she fails to realize the most obvious change of all. After picking up Elizabeth from the muddy ground, Mio supports Ritsu as they both trudge home in the pouring rain.

Upon arriving at the Tainaka residence, Ritsu calls out to Satoshi, but he fails to recognize his brother's voice. Satoshi only lets them in after receiving confirmation from Mio. Satoshi and Mio then decide to take Ritsu to the bathroom to treat him. On their way there, Ritsu finally passes out but they manage to reach their destination by dragging the dead weight a bit.

As they prepare to treat Ritsu, only then does Mio realize his gender. Bewildered, Mio questions Satoshi, but then decides to hold her questions for later. They both shift their focus to the task at hand. To Satoshi's surprise, Mio takes up the challenge to treat Ritsu's wound. He comes to understand just how deeply Mio cares for his brother. Finally, with the stab wound treated and with Ritsu undressed (and with a lot of convincing from Satoshi), the two heave Ritsu into a tub of hot water. And with that, Satoshi runs to the door and leaves the rest of the job to Akiyama Mio.

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><p>Bam! How's that for a summary? Hehe<p>

Kidding aside, summarizing stuff definitely isn't one of my strong points. I hope that somehow, though, you'd still find it fairly satisfying. With this done, onwards to the 5th chapter!


	2. Story!

Whoops! I forgot to remove the previous note here. For those of you who may have read it, I hope it didn't cause you any confusion.

Disclaimer: I own neither K-ON! nor Ranma ½.

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><p><em><strong>Ritsu<strong>_

"Whoa!"

I woke up with a jolt. Someone had splash cold water on me.

"KYA-A!"

"Mio?"

"Mio-san, what happened?"

"Satoshi?"

I rubbed my eyes and then looked around me again. I was in the bathroom with Satoshi at the door, and Mio cowering in the corner. Wait, I was in the bathroom with Satoshi AND Mio? Naked?

…

…

…

And so after the worst of the storm had passed, we were all situated nicely in my room, having a pleasant conversation…

"Mio, ho-how could you take advantage of me while I was unconscious? Oh, the shame…"

"I'll say it a million times if I have to: I WAS JUST CLEANING YOU UP!"

"Ohoho! So you had to clean me up while I was a boy, huh?"

"I only splashed you with cold water when I was done! I remembered then that hot water wasn't good for fresh bruises. Plus I needed Satoshi's help to put some clothes on you!"

"So you're the type who likes dressing boys, eh?"

WHACK!

Marking the end of our pleasant conversation.

"Hmph! I can't believe I was so worried about you…" said Mio with her back to me.

"Aah…So-sorry…"

Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING can ever spare me from the wrath of the Dangerous Queen, Akiyama Mio…

"Ehehehe…it sure is a relief to see you two so lively again," said Satoshi with a smile. I'm sure it was forced though.

"Dearest little brother, you sure have the most twisted perception of the word 'lively'," I said as I patted his head.

"You said something?" said Mio as she faced us suddenly, a glint in her eye.

"Uh, I was just thanking him for doing such a good job on me! Good job, Satoshi!" I said quickly while flashing him a thumbs-up.

"Sure thing, nii-chan…" he said, playing along. Then he added, "But it was mostly Mio-san who did the work. You'd better thank her properly."

Oh. Riiight. I hadn't thanked Mio properly yet. I really don't know how to do it without the awkwardness. I was just teasing her to hide my embarrassment for being cleaned up by her and all…

The three of us were on my bed, with Satoshi sitting closer to me. Mio moved a little farther away after hitting me, and she had her back to me again. I moved to her timidly then tapped her shoulder.

"What do you want?" she said, still facing away from me.

"I-I want to say something. Can you turn this way for a moment?" I said. I could feel myself blushing. Slowly, she turned to face me. Wait, was she blushing too?

"Um, t-thank you f-for…everything. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble," I said shyly, and then I ended it with a bow. Actually, I just wanted to hide my face. It was red! Gah! She was probably giggling to herself by now. I felt so vulnerable.

"Your forehead…Now!" she commanded. I gulped. What's she gonna do now? I slowly offered her my forehead. Oh yeah, did I mention that I was in boy mode? And in boy mode, I always have my bangs down. Hair bands don't suit me very well as a boy. Anyway, Mio parted my bangs to reveal my forehead. I braced myself for the worst. Here it comes!

Soft, full lips were pressed gently on my forehead. I felt my body stiffen at the contact. D-did Mio just…?

"Ritsu…you idiot," she whispered.

WAAAAAAAAAAH! I thought I was going to overheat. Although I know it was given as a friend, somehow, the kiss felt different as a boy. I stared at Mio in disbelief. She looked anywhere but in my direction. She seemed to be overheating already.

"I-I think I'll get us something to eat…"

Satoshi, you traitor!

What was I supposed to do? One minute passed and neither of us moved nor spoke. Another full minute, then…

"So…guess that was the first kiss you gave a boy, huh? Well, at least half a boy."

Giggle. Giggle giggle. Mio was giggling!

"Huuuh?" I said with a raised eyebrow. I didn't really get it, but her laugh was contagious, so pretty soon I was laughing too.

"Yes, and to give it to you of all people," Mio said between giggles.

"Haha – hey! What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter," she said as she finished giggling.

"Does too. I'm gorgeous as a girl, but I've been told that I'm even more striking as a boy," I bragged.

"Who told you? Your mom?"

Bull's eye.

Mio smirked.

"N-no, it was a really talented, kind, and attractive girl who was actually an heiress to a large fortune. A princess! We met her in China," I lied.

"Yeah, right. When pigs fly."

"You can fly?"

WHACK!

"Mio-chan, are you ever going to stop hitting me?" I asked with teary eyes.

"As soon as you stop being an idiot," she said.

"Hitting me, then kissing me, then going back to hitting me again," I muttered. I think she understood me, but she pretended not to. Red again, she was.

"Come closer, will you? We need to do something about your face," she said, motioning me to move up to her. I obeyed and soon she was dabbing cotton on my face.

"Ow! That hurts! What's on that, poison?"

"How I wish it to be so…"

After applying poison on some cuts, Mio started to apply an ice pack on the bruises on my face. And man, did it hurt! I hope I don't become an eye sore. Pretty soon, there was a knock on the door and in came Satoshi. He really did bring some food with him.

"Yay! What took you? And here I thought you were planning to finish me off by starving me," I said happily.

"I think I liked you better when you were unconscious, nii-chan," mumbled Satoshi.

"You're not alone," added Mio with a sigh.

"Mio-o. Feed me! I'm too injured to move," I whined after making myself comfortable on my bed.

"Oh, all right. Just shut up already," said Mio. Hehe, Akiyama-chan was being very obedient to me today. I felt so satisfied!

"We should do this more often," I suggested with a mouthful of food.

"Then you'll have to be injured more often too," said Mio while frowning at me. Honestly though, I think she was enjoying it.

"Wow, you two kinda look like a couple," commented Satoshi.

"Please, don't doom me to such a fate," was Mio's reply.

"Mio-chan, saying that while blushing isn't very convincing, you know," I teased. My bad. She shoved a huge amount of food into my mouth afterwards.

"You two still have a lot of explaining to do. Why don't you begin now?" she said with total indifference to my predicament. I was frantically motioning Satoshi to give me water.

After saving my life, Satoshi began the story:

"It happened during our first week in China. Along with other tourists, we were trekking in an area in the Bayankala mountain range. Somewhere along the way, nee-chan spotted a panda and insisted that we should take its picture. When it saw us approaching, it quickly ran away. But before it did, it threw a bamboo shoot at nee-chan."

"Geez, Ritsu. Even pandas hate you," commented Mio.

"Hey! Whaddya mean by 'even'? Besides, I didn't do anything to it yet. "

"Yet? Well, I guess your appearance was enough reason for it to do so. Anyway, then what happened?"

Satoshi continued:

"Nee-chan kinda freaked out and wanted to hunt it down. She dragged me along to follow it. The panda was quite fast and, since we were in a forest, we got lost before we knew it."

"And that was when we were attacked by a group of rabid polar bears!"

"Gya!"

"M-Mio-san, there are no polar bears in China…"

"Actually, they were albino pandas!"

A pillow was smashed into my face the next second.

"Nii-chan, I suggest you keep quiet for your own survival."

"P-please continue then…"

Satoshi sighed before going on:

"Nee-chan took the lead in search of the trail we were on earlier, causing us to go deeper into the forest. Around three hours after we got separated from the group, we reached a huge clearing. Then a man dressed as a tour guide found us and offered us a tour around the area. Thinking that he was working with our tour guide, we accepted. He then led us to a huge bunch of hot springs. There seemed to be over a hundred of them! He said the place was called Jusenkyo, one of the 13 Cursed Wonders of China."

"S-Satoshi…nothing scary or p-painful happens next, r-right?" interrupted Mio. Just when I was about to answer, Satoshi shoved some more food into my mouth. People these days have absolutely no manners!

"No worries, Mio-san. No scary or painful stuff," assured Satoshi. After receiving a nod from Mio, he resumed his story.

"Nee-chan got really excited and wanted me to take her picture by the springs. The tour guide tried to warn her about them, saying that they were cursed. Nee-chan ignored him and got even closer to the springs. In panic, the tour guide tried to pull her away but then he tripped and ended up pushing her into one of them instead."

"Nanniichuan. Spring of the Drowned Man. That's what I fell into. Turns out you become whatever first drowned in each spring. That's the curse of Jusenkyo," I continued.

"Um, you sure nothing scary happens next?" asked Mio.

"Well, that's the worst part of it, I guess," said Satoshi.

"What about the cold water and hot water part?" she added.

"Hot water's the temporary cure. Cold water returns me to my cursed state," I explained.

"Wasn't there a spring where a girl drowned? Maybe you could return to normal if you take a dip there."

"If only it were that easy. There was one, but according to the tour guide, immersing oneself into another spring could mix the curses rather than switch them," said Satoshi.

"No way was I taking that risk! Besides, it's not that bad being a boy," I mumbled.

"Yes, it does suit you. Your outward appearance finally matches what you are inside," remarked Mio.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"I feel the same way…"

"You too, Satoshi? You're just ganging up on me…"

"But how did you get back?" Mio asked, completely ignoring me.

"The tour guide showed us the way back. He was really nice. Anyway, when we got back, we told our parents everything. They didn't believe us at first, but it wasn't difficult to prove ourselves," said Satoshi.

"Well, how'd they react to your news?"

"Their initial reaction was shock, and they were quite upset about it too. But pretty soon they accepted it freely. They even started to buy clothes for nii-chan," said Satoshi with a smirk. The little brat!

"Don't tell anybody though. Apart from the tour guide, you're the only one outside our family who knows," I said seriously.

"Of course," said Mio with a reassuring smile.

"Mio-san, nii-chan, I'll be leaving now, if it's okay with you," said Satoshi as he got up.

"Go ahead, Satoshi. Thanks for the story and for your help," said Mio gratefully.

"I should be the one thanking you, Mio-san. Please continue to take care of nii-chan," he said with a bow.

"You could learn a lot from your brother, you know," Mio told me.

"Yeah, sure sure," I said while flipping my hand. Before he left, Satoshi gathered the dishes we used. As he reached for the one near my bed, I held his arm and smiled at him.

"Thanks a lot. Let your nii-chan know if you need anything, okay?"

"Sure!" said the kid with a grin. Can't find a brother better than this one!

When Satoshi left, Mio and I got ready for bed. There were still issues to resolve though…

"Wait, we're not sleeping on the same bed, are we?" said Mio.

"Anything wrong with that? We've done it several times before," I said.

"Well, you'd better change into a girl first if we are," she insisted.

"But that's too troublesome! I want to sleep now," I whined.

"Fine. I'll sleep on a futon then," she said stubbornly.

"Mio, don't be too fussy. I'm still the Ritsu you know. Besides, it's not like I'm gonna do anything indecent to you…" I reasoned.

"I-I know that!" snapped Mio. All red again.

"In that case we're sleeping together now," I said with a yawn. Mio still looked unsure about the whole thing, but at least she was considering it. I made space for her on the bed and gestured her to lie down. Finally, she consented.

"Can you turn the lights off first?"

"S-sure."

With Mio on the bed at last, I closed my eyes. Despite her earlier protests, it didn't take long for her to snuggle close to me. I was tired. So many things happened in one day. I could've lost Mio. So it was very comforting to have her next to me then.

"Ritsu…" she whimpered. I turned to face her. She was in tears.

"What's wrong, Mio?" I said quietly.

"I'm so-sorry. Because of me, you could've-"

"Don't say that. Please don't." I tried to sound firm but my voice was shaking. "If there's anyone who needs to be apologizing, it's me."

"But I was the one who put us both in danger! I was the one who got you nearly killed!"

"If I hadn't told you what I did, then none of those things would've happened! Besides, I'm willing to put my life on the line for you. I'd even give my life up for you. I would never forgive myself if the worst happened to you!"

Stupid Mio. Now I was crying too. And I hate being too emotional.

"Don't," she said firmly.

"Wha-?"

"Don't ever do that. Don't die for me. Don't leave me. What-what would I do without you?"

"Mio…"

"When you said you had a lover, I just couldn't take it. Three weeks was the longest time we've been apart without any contact. I missed you…so much. Then you come back without even telling me, and even refuse to let me know what you were hiding. I thought that you hated me. I thought that you were going to leave me. I actually thought that you were moving to China to be with your lover, never to be seen again!" Mio was already shouting, tears flowing freely.

"Ritsu, you idiot…" she finished softly. I sighed deeply before gently wiping her tears with my hand.

"I couldn't agree more. I'm the greatest idiot in the world!" I said sheepishly.

"And you're just the right kind I need," she said with a blush. Then she smiled at me. I smiled back.

"Mio, I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?" I said without looking at her directly.

"You don't have a lover?" she asked all of a sudden. The question took me by surprise. I shook my head vigorously.

"No boyfriend?"

I shook my head again.

"How about…a girlfriend?"

"What?"

"You can turn into a boy now!" she explained quickly. "Well, do you?"

"Of course not!" I exclaimed.

"You're forgiven then," she said, seemingly satisfied with my answer.

"But Mio…you sure you're okay? Those jerks…" I said uncomfortably. I clenched my fist at the thought of them.

Instead of answering my question, she hugged me closely. I returned her hug. Then, she looked up at me and said,

"Sawako-sensei's done worse."

I wasn't able to prevent myself from grinning.

"Mio?"

"Yes?"

"Good night." I returned the kiss she gave me earlier on her forehead. She smiled while blushing deeply.

"That's another first for tonight, you know," she said softly.

"Really?"

"Yup. First kiss from a boy."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry it was from me," I said as I looked away. Mio turned away from me then said,

"Stupid. I'm glad it was from you. Good night."


	3. Cake!

_**Mio**_

"Stupid. I'm glad it was from you. Good night."

I said a lot of embarrassing things tonight, but my last words to Ritsu were probably the most embarrassing of all. How and why did I say such things? Did I really mean everything I said? And why did I make such intimate contact with him? Wait, why can't I stop thinking of all these in the first place? I shook my head a little, as if I could get rid of such thoughts by doing so.

I narrowed my eyes to get a better view of the time displayed on Ritsu's wall clock. Although the lights were turned off, the beams of the full moon that came through the window illuminated the room just enough for me to get a rather clear picture of my surroundings. I sighed. It was already two o'clock. Somehow, I just couldn't sleep although my body was filled with weariness. Those unrelenting thoughts definitely weren't helping too.

Just then, I felt Ritsu shift his position. I turned to look at him and nearly gasped. His face was right next to mine! I quickly backed away from him a bit. It was enough to have him so close tonight, but to have his face next to mine was just too much! Then, I felt myself blush a little. Wait, this is Ritsu I'm dealing with, so why am I reacting this way? Maybe because he's a boy now? After all, I don't have much experience when it comes to dealing with boys. This is a whole new thing. But it's still Ritsu! Aaagh! These thoughts again!

"Mio…"

"Huh?"

Surprised, I fixed my eyes on Ritsu. Did he just call my name? Before I could answer my own question, Ritsu started to mumble something again. My curiosity got the better of me, so I moved closer to him to understand what he was saying.

"You really should do a better job on me next time… At this rate, I won't allow you to be…my personal maid..."

"As if I want to!" I whispered angrily. I instinctively clenched my fist, ready to attack. He's probably just pretending to be asleep! I was just about to hit him when he started to snore lightly. I looked at him carefully again. I then realized that he really was sleeping.

"Geez, Ritsu. Annoying me even when you're asleep? What sort of dream are you having anyway?" I said softly with a little smile.

"Don't worry Mio," he suddenly mumbled again. Now I'm really starting to doubt if he IS asleep.

"Everything…will be fine. We're all here for you..."

"Ritsu?" I continued to listen to him carefully.

"I'm here…always," he finished. Ritsu was sleeping; his breathing low and steady, his face filled with calm. I wore a bigger smile this time.

"And even when you're asleep," I told him softly as if he were listening, "you still reassure me."

Somehow, Ritsu's words felt like they were just what I needed to hear. I guess I was still bothered by everything that happened today. It was probably what kept me awake all this time. As I gazed at the curtain of light gently emanating from the moon, I gave a small yawn and felt my eyelids grow heavy. Finally, I slowly fell asleep as I listened to Ritsu's rhythmic breathing.

I woke up at six this morning, rather early considering the time I slept. Beside me, Ritsu was still sleeping peacefully. Careful not to wake him, I slowly got up from bed.

"Looks like we're both skipping school today," I told myself while looking at the figure before me. Ritsu wasn't in the condition to return yet, and someone had to look after him. I wanted to be that someone.

Alright! First things first. I must prepare our breakfast. As I went down the stairs on my way to the kitchen, I wondered what I could cook for all of us. I couldn't match with Ritsu's cooking skills, but I'm not that bad either. When I got to the kitchen, I was surprised to find Satoshi already there.

"Good morning, Mio-san," greeted Satoshi as I entered the kitchen. He was pouring some milk into a glass for himself.

"Good morning to you too. You're up early," I remarked as I approached the table and grabbed a chair underneath it.

"Well, I'm supposed to go to school today, but I'm having second thoughts about it. Nii-chan isn't well yet, right?" he asked with concern.

"I'm afraid so. But don't worry; I'll stay to look after him. You should go to school. Can't have all three of us skipping class, can we?" I said with a smile.

"I was sort of expecting you to say that…" said Satoshi before he sighed.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Ehehe. I was sorta looking forward to not going today," he said while scratching his head. Well, I guess that's just one of the things he has in common with his sister. Or should I say brother? This is starting to get confusing. I also let out a sigh.

"Anyway, you should get going, Satoshi. I'll prepare our breakfast," I told him. "By the way, what do you have for me to cook?"

After showing me the contents of their fridge, I decided to make omelet rice. I immediately started my task and managed to cook enough servings for us in a relatively short period of time. As soon I finished cooking, Satoshi ate his share and left for school. Along with two glasses of milk, I put our food on a tray I found and cautiously made my way back to Ritsu's room. I just hope I've prepared enough to satisfy Ritsu's appetite. He's capable of consuming surprising amounts of food sometimes.

"Mioooooo! Hurry up. I'm starving again."

Ritsu was already awake, whining as soon as I entered the room.

"What are you, a kid? Quit making so much noise in the morning," I said irritably. Really! Even when he's injured, he still has enough energy to bug people.

"You knew I had food with me?" I asked as I settled the tray on the study table.

"Nope! If you returned without any, I would've commanded you to cook for me," he said cheerfully.

"Goodbye," I said as I got up and headed for the door.

"It was a joke! A joke! Please don't leave me, Mio-sama!" pleaded the idiot on the bed.

I sighed before returning to his side.

"How many times do I have to tell to learn how to show some gratitude?" I said as I handed him his plate of omelet rice.

"Thank you Mio-sama! I truly appreciate your gracious offering," he said with a bow.

"Now you're overdoing it. Anyway, the omelet's not as good as yours, but I hope you'll like it," I said sheepishly.

"It's fine, it's fine! I'm so hungry, I can eat anything! Even this."

"Did you just praise me? Or did I hear something else?" I said dangerously, while cracking my knuckles.

"You-You've really out done yourself this time, Mio! This is the b-best omelet rice I've ever tasted," was Ritsu's immediate, yet nervous reply.

Though annoyed, I couldn't keep myself from smiling inwardly. He was right. The only thing that has changed in him is his ability to shift his gender. He's still the same Ritsu I grew up with. He's even retained some physical traits that appear to complement the female Ritsu's personality. His eyes still held that golden hue that seemed to reflect the radiance of autumn. His voice, although lower, still had that distinct playful and optimistic tone. And his bangs…they seem to be longer than ever! As a girl, she seldom lets them down. But when she does, I think the look suits her. And as a guy, even more so. In fact, he doesn't look that bad. Maybe even a bit good-looking…

"Mio, why are you staring at me like that? Look, I'm really sorry for what I said earlier. So please spare me from any more damage."

"I-I wasn't going to do anything to you!" I said, and to my surprise, quite defensively. "Anyway, you'd better hurry up. We're going to the doctor afterwards. We still need to have your arm checked."

I only applied first-aid treatment on his stab wound, so it was necessary to have it checked lest it gets worse. We agreed that he should stay in his present form to avoid any unwanted questions the doctor might raise.

Our entire visit to the doctor, including travel time, lasted for two and a half hours. As expected, it was best for Ritsu to stay in his male form since the doctor asked how he got to his current condition. Boy getting into a fight? Nothing unusual. Girl getting into a fight with men that involved thrashing and stabbing? That's different. With that said, it wasn't very difficult to make up a story about the whole thing, all thanks to Ritsu's colorful imagination. After his treatment, we ate at Max Burger before heading straight to his house. Thankfully, the trip back was uneventful too.

When we finally got home, we spent most of the afternoon watching a movie and telling stories to each other. We even had some sort of jam session together. While playing Elizabeth, Ritsu used his makeshift drums to complement me. Spending our time together like that made me realize just how much I missed his company.

Then,

"Hey, Mio. What if Yui and everyone else decided to visit us after school? I mean, you guys visited me before when you found out that I got sick, right? Hehe, imagine the mess we'd be in if they actually arrive right-"

"Mio-chan! Ricchan! I'm coming up to your room now, okay?"

"Great."

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><p><em><strong>Yui<strong>_

I sighed. I glanced around the classroom and sighed again. No fair! Ricchan just came back from her three-week vacation, but she gets to skip school again today. Even Mio-chan didn't come. Oh well. At least Mugi-chan's here. It only means that the rest of us can still have some sweets! I still kinda miss them though. Anyway, since Mugi-chan took Mio-chan's place for cleaning duty, it took a while longer before we started tea time. I decided to wait for her in our classroom until she finished.

"Looks like they really won't be coming today," said Mugi-chan as we were heading to our club room. She sounded worried and disappointed at the same time.

"Don't worry Mugi-chan! They'll come tomorrow for sure. And if they don't, we'll force them to!" I said with determination.

"Yes!" Mugi-chan nodded with a smile. She looked a bit happier, and that made me feel good. I smiled back at her.

When we got to the club room, Azunyan was already there. Eager to recharge my Azunyan energy, I ran to her and gave her a big hug!

"Yui-senpai, what took you?" asked Azunyan as she struggled for release. Like I'm letting her go!

"Sorry for making you wait Azusa-chan. I did cleaning duty in Mio-chan's place, and Yui-chan decided to wait for me, so we got a little delayed," explained Mugi-chan.

"Ah, you don't need to be sorry Mugi-senpai. I don't mind waiting at all. I just thought no one was coming, so I got a bit worried. Wait, why did you do cleaning duty for Mio-senpai?"

"Mio-chan didn't come to school today. Ricchan too," I said as I released Azunyan. "It's unfair for Ricchan to miss school again right after coming back, right Azunyan?"

"Yui-senpai, you should be more worried you know…" said Azunyan with a sigh.

Pretty soon, we were both seated while Mugi-chan served us some tea. Then, she brought out a really yummy-looking cake from its box. I took a quick bite from my slice as soon as it was served.

"Mmmmm! Mugi-chan, this cake is really delicious!" I said happily after swallowing my first bite. I mean, all of Mugi-chan's sweets taste great, but somehow this one tastes better than usual.

"She's right, Mugi-senpai. All your sweets your are delicious, but this tastes different. In a good way, of course," added Azunyan.

Mugi-chan suddenly looked really happy after hearing our compliments.

"Re-really? Actually, I baked that myself. I planned to serve it during Ricchan's welcome back party, but failed to do so because she returned earlier than expected," said Mugi-chan shyly.

"Wooow. You baked this all by yourself? Mugi-chan, you're great!" I said, both surprised and impressed.

"Mugi-senpai, I didn't know you liked to bake," said Azunyan as she took another bite from her slice.

"Um, I don't really bake as often as you may think. I only started to learn a few weeks ago. This is the very first cake I baked without any help, so I was really happy and relieved to hear you say it's good," said Mugi-chan modestly.

"Ah, no wonder it tastes so good. I can taste Mugi-chan's love!" I exclaimed. Mugi-chan smiled at me warmly when I did.

It was the first time Mugi-chan served us something she baked herself, her very first cake. And she baked it to celebrate Ricchan's return. She really must've put a lot of effort into it. No wonder she looked sad when Ricchan didn't show up.

"Mugi-chan, what do you call this cake?" I asked.

"It's called Dobos cake, I believe," answered Mugi-chan.

"Alright! Let's take Dobo-chan to Ricchan's house so she can taste it!" I said eagerly.

"That's a great idea, but I won't be able to come with you. I already promised Ui and Jun that I'd be hanging out with them today," said Azunyan sadly.

"I'm afraid I can't join you either," Mugi-chan also said sadly. "I have something scheduled with my family right after school. I'll be leaving soon enough."

"Oh, that's too bad." Now I was starting to feel sad too. Should I still go, even by myself?

Yes, I should! I must deliver the cake Mugi-chan put so much effort to bake.

"Mugi-chan!" I said as I raised my hand.

"Ye-yes?" Whoops. Looks like I surprised Mugi-chan a bit. Azunyan too. She was frowning at me.

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to deliver Dobo-chan safely to Ricchan's place," I said, again with determination.

"Stop naming things, will you?" mumbled Azunyan.

"It's very okay with me," said Mugi-chan, "but are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?"

"Yes! I am very sure," I replied.

"Mugi-senpai may be more worried about the cake," I heard Azunyan mumble again.

"Then by all means, please deliver Dobo-chan safely to Ricchan," said Mugi-chan cheerfully.

"Understood," I said as I prepared to leave. I already finished my slice so I was o-kay! I may even get another one at Ricchan's place. Hehe, that would be great! So,

"Operation Dobo-chan Delivery, begin!"

I saluted to Mugi-chan before I left. She saluted back.

"Do your best, Agent Hirasawa."

"I shall not fail you, Captain Mugi-chan! Azunyan, see you later!"

I grabbed Gitah and my bag as I headed for the door. As for the cake, Mugi-chan placed it a pink box that I was now holding carefully, just like the way you'd hold a priceless treasure that could break at any moment. Hmmm…does that make any sense?

Before closing the door behind me, I took one more glance at my friends. They both smiled at me. Azunyan looked kinda worried though.

"Taka care Yui-senpai! And try not to trip on your way there!" Azunyan called out as I went down the stairs.

"O-"

Whoa!

"…kay."

Phew. That was close. I nearly tripped. Anyway, I'll make sure nothing happens to Dobo-chan on our trip. So don't worry, Dobo-chan!

When I finally arrived at Ricchan's house, I felt a little tired. I went around in circles in her neighborhood 'cause I forget the house she lived in. It took a lot of walking and asking before I got to the right house. Just as I was about to press the doorbell, I felt someone walk up to me.

"Yui-san?"

"Ah, Satoshi-kun, it's you!" It was Ricchan's younger brother, Satoshi-kun. Looks like he just arrived from school because he still had his uniform on.

"Nice timing! I was just about to ring the doorbell when you arrived. Is Ricchan home? I brought some delicious cake for her from school," I said happily as I showed him the pink box I was holding.

"Yeah. She's stayed home all day, I think," he replied. Suddenly, Satoshi-kun looked alarmed.

"What's the matter, Satoshi-kun? Anything wrong?"

"Ah, no-nothing. Nothing at all," he said quite hesitantly.

"Um, can we go in now?" I asked while he seemed to be thinking. I was really excited to show Dobo-chan to Ricchan, and wanted another slice too, so I was getting a bit fidgety.

"Uh, sure. Please come in," he said as he opened the door for me.

"Would you like to have a snack before going to nee-chan's room, Yui-san?" Satoshi asked as he led me into their house. He seemed quite fidgety too.

"No thanks. I already had a snack before coming here," I told him. I wonder what's wrong with Satoshi-kun. He seems so worried about something. Just when I was about to ask him if he was sure he was alright, I heard a faint, yet familiar sound coming from above. As I listened carefully to it, I realized why it sounded so familiar. It was Fuwa Fuwa time being played on the bass, and someone seemed to be drumming to provide the rhythm. I smiled happily. Looks like Mio-chan's here too. I followed the sound and it led me to a flight of stairs.

"Satoshi-kun, these stairs go up to Ricchan's room right?" I asked as I pointed at them.

"Yeah…are you sure you don't want any more snacks? We've got a really delicious cake in the fridge. I think…" said Satoshi-kun. Wow, I didn't know he was a huge fan of treats too. It looks like he really wants me to taste their cake.

"Don't worry, okay? I'll eat some with you after I see Ricchan and Mio-chan," I said to him sweetly.

As I was about to make my way up the stairs, I thought I heard Satoshi-kun mumble "Oh no." Hmm, maybe it was just my imagination. Anyway, I couldn't hold my excitement any longer, so I called out to them.

"Mio-chan! Ricchan! I'm coming up to your room now, okay?"

I can't wait to see the look on their faces with my surprise.

* * *

><p>Read Me!<p>

I wasn't able to describe Dobo-chan in the story, so here's a little info about him:

He's actually a five-layer sponge cake , layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with thin caramel slices. His sides are sometimes coated with ground hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts or almonds but the original cake is without coat since it was a slice of a big cake. Not bad for Mugi's first cake, huh?

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think about it too, if you don't mind. Thank you very much!


	4. Name!

Read Me: Hello! Did this update take longer than expected? If so, a thousand apologies to all readers. My goal's to have at least one chapter published every week. It's more difficult than I thought, though, with the circumstances I'm currently in. But I'm still hoping for your continued support, and your reviews are a great way for showing this. Speaking of reviews, thanks a lot to all who gave them! Short ones are much appreciated too, so please don't hesitate to share them with everyone else.

Oh yeah, I'd like to clarify something. For simplicity's sake, I'll be using the terms gender and sex interchangeably though they refer to different concepts. _Sex_ refers to the biological distinction between males and females; by contrast,_gender_ concerns the social differences between males and females. I hope you don't mind. Anyway, let's begin!

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><p><em><strong>Ritsu<strong>_

"Great."

Totally great. I face palmed. I just had to say that, didn't I?

"You just had to say that, didn't you?" Mio grumbled.

It's like one of those cliché scenes when a certain character babbles some random, dreaded event he never really expected to happen but then it happens anyway. Right after he says it. I usually laugh whenever I watch such scenes on TV. To have the same thing played on me, of course, is just plain cruel.

I looked at Mio in panic. Apparently, she was feeling the same way I was feeling. It was written all over her face. Yui was getting closer to the door, her light footsteps and cheerful humming sounded louder by the second.

"Get in bed, quick!" Mio suddenly commanded. As I scrambled into bed, she spread a blanket on top of me.

"You're sick, you're too cold to walk around without a blanket, and you're about to take a bath. Got it?" Mio hastily whispered to me. I nodded to her obediently. Then, before either of us could even face the door, it swung wide open to provide access to the life form that nearly triggered certain heart attack in me. Hmmm…I'm definitely going to install another lock on my door. A STURDY one.

"SURPRIIIIIIISE!" squealed the said life form upon entry. That, dear Hirasawa-san, is an understatement. I nervously pulled the blanket over my head. Whatever it is Mio's planning, I hope it works!

"Ah, Yui, you're here!" Mio said in delight. Or at least she tried to. I could easily tell she felt just the opposite.

"Yup! And I'm here with a very special cake from Mugi-chan," Yui replied with genuine delight as she presented a pink box to us. Normally I should be attacking the cake by now, 'specially since it's one of Mugi's cakes. Plus, Yui said that it's "very special". But with the given situation, all that I did was to stare at the package Yui was holding from the small opening I made on my protective covering.

"Eh? Ricchan?" Yui sounded puzzled. Ah, she's finally noticed my current state.

"Mio-chan, that IS Ricchan, right?" said Yui as she carefully approached us.

"It's him, I mean he-her, alright. She's caught a terrible cold, so she couldn't handle school today. And since her parents aren't around, I decided to look after," explained Mio while stroking my head gently. I felt the hairs on my neck tingle a bit at her touch. Overly-gentle Mio is weird! Her nervousness is getting the better of her. Her acting still needs a lot of work. But as for my acting, *cough cough*. There, that should convince Yui a bit more.

"But she seemed fine yesterday. It's not something serious, is it Mio-chan?" Yui was already next to my bed, just beside Mio. The puzzled look on her face was replaced with one of concern.

"Well, she um, played in the rain last night. It rained heavily, didn't it?" Mio said a bit too quickly. Heh, played in the rain? That's lame! Not even Yui would fall for-

"That sounds just like something Ricchan would definitely do!"

"What kind of person do you think I am?" Well, that was what I was supposed to say. But before I could even let the words out, Mio quickly transferred the hand she was just using for stroking my head to the top of my mouth to muffle whatever sound came out from it. And then she gave it a squeeze. A very tight squeeze.

"Whoa, she nearly gave quite a sneeze there. Good thing I held it off," said Mio without releasing her grip on my mouth. I squinted to keep the tears from falling.

"Oh yeah, I heard you playing Elizabeth before coming up here. It sounded like Ricchan was drumming too. Was she using these?" said Yui as she held up my drum sticks and gestured at my makeshift drums on the table.

"She wasn't tired until just a minute ago," was Mio's swift reply. "I mean, I was hoping to put her to sleep by playing a tune, but then she joined in and I just let her continue. It wasn't long before her exhaustion took over, though."

"Oh, okay," said Yui as she nodded. She looked pretty convinced. Then, she got closer to me before asking me softly, "How are you feeling, Ricchan?"

"Better, thanks to Mommy Mio here," I said with the voice I used whenever I was "sick".

"Ricchan! You really do sound sick. You're voice has gotten a lot deeper!" whispered Yui loudly in surprise. Shoot! I forgot about that.

"You-you're exaggerating…" I said nervously. I subconsciously pulled the blanket tighter around my body as Yui gave me a long and hard stare.

"Oh yeah, it's time for her bath!" Mio suddenly exclaimed. I sighed quietly in relief. It was about time she interrupted.

Yui backed off a bit from my bed as Mio gave me the assistance I seemed to need. The blanket was still draped over my body and I slumped to hide my true height.

"She's too cold to walk around without a blanket," explained Mio when Yui looked at me questioningly.

As I dragged myself out of the room with Mio lending me support, Yui asked, "Mio-chan, you'll give her a bath too?"

"Oh, she already did last night."

WHACK!

And that was the last thing I managed to say before arriving at the bathroom. Remarkably, I was still in one piece. Having Mio work in the medical field is definitely out of the question.

When I got there, the tub was already filled with hot water. Satoshi had prepared it as soon as he had the chance. He kinda sensed that I needed it. As I lowered myself into the tub, the bruises and wounds in my body started to ache when they came in contact with the water. I was careful to keep my stab wound from getting wet, though. After finally changing back into my original body, I dressed into the clothes Mio gave me. I was just about to get out of the bathroom when I decided to have a look at the mirror first.

While gazing at the image reflected on the mirror, wonder began to fill me. Sure, I was already getting used to the whole gender-changing thing. But sometimes, it feels scary, cool, and just plain weird all at the same time. It's quite overwhelming, if you ask me. Good thing there's no pain involved during the change. Mio in the pain department is more than enough.

"Mio…" I murmured to myself while fiddling with my bangs. I'm glad she accepted the change unconditionally. Even without her saying it, I can feel that she did. Although she threatened my existence at times, she'll always be that special person no one can ever replace. So with her acceptance, it was as if a huge weight was lifted off my chest. There was still some weight that needed lifting, though. Yui, Mugi, Azusa, and maybe even Sawa-chan…their thoughts and feelings about me matter too. What if they won't accept me the way Mio did? What if they won't accept me at all? What if, somehow, I might even ruin our goals and cause our band to break up, damaging our friendship along the way?

"Ritsu, are you done now?" Mio's voice interrupted my thoughts as she knocked on the door. After a moment, she added with hesitation, "Do you, um, need help with anything?"

Hehe, I could already picture her blushing behind the door. I felt the natural urge to tease her, but I held back from it, for now. I'm just glad to break away from those thoughts. Worrying is so not good for my health.

"Nah, I'm fine. Thanks. I'll be out in a moment," I replied. I took a deep breath before I planted a huge grin on my face. Satisfied with it, I finally got out of the bathroom.

"Missed me?" I said as I closed the door behind me.

"Knock it off," was Mio's reply.

Feeling lighter than when I left it earlier, we both headed back to my room where Yui was waiting. Or so we thought.

"She was still here when I returned to get you some clothes," said Mio as she looked around the room with worry.

I let out a sigh as I swept my room with a glance. I can't tell if did so out of worry or out of relief. I was just about to sit on my bed when I noticed that the pink box Yui had brought from school was left lying on the floor. Then, before I even reached it to pick it up, the door opened and Yui came in. With a huge glass of water in her hand. My heart rate increased greatly right away.

"Ricchan, I got you some water in the biggest glass I could find. My mom always says you should drink a lot when you're sick," Yui said as she was moving toward me quickly. Then, the worst thing happened in an instant.

"Yui, be careful with that!"

"It's okay, Mio-chan. Here you- Agh! Dobo-chan!"

"Gah!"

Yui and I were both sprawled on the floor. She collided into me when she tried to avoid the cake she was about to step on. And now she was on top of me, her face buried in my chest. I realized at once that it was seriously lacking in size.

"Ricchan…?"

The next thing I knew, Yui's hands were all over my chest, frantically feeling for something that wasn't there. She suddenly looked up to me straight in the face.

"Y-Yui…" My voice trailed off. I didn't know what to say. She slowly reached for my face and stroked it gently. I remained motionless until she finally got off me. Still wearing an expression of shock and confusion, she looked at Mio, then at me, and then back at Mio again.

"What's going on…?"

Tongue-tied, I left the explaining to Mio.

Ten minutes later, Mio was holding a kettle filled with hot water. After relating the details of the curse to Yui, we decided to let her see for herself how it worked. Throughout Mio's explanation, Yui remained silent. We didn't get much more of a reaction from her after her initial one. It was so unlike her. As I watched her from the corner of my eye, my heart only felt heavier.

"Say something, Yui," I whispered to myself. Any reaction is better than no reaction. Is it all too much of a shock for her?

"Ready?" Mio asked as she raised the kettle above my head. We were all in my room, including Satoshi, with me sitting at the middle. After nodding to her, she slowly poured the water on me.

"Ouuuuuuch…" I said quietly through gritted teeth. But the pain doesn't matter, so long as this could get some sort of reaction from Yui.

As soon as I was a girl again, Yui immediately came close to me and gave me another one of her intense stares.

"H-hey!" She just poked at my chest! I felt myself blush a bit at the attack. I noticed Mio and Satoshi turn a little red too. Suddenly, Yui got up and rushed down the stairs. She left without even saying a word!

"Well, things can't always turn out the way we want them to," I said sadly as I gazed at the half-open door.

"Nee-chan…" Satoshi placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Mio sat next to me and smiled at me sadly.

Then, unexpectedly, we heard footsteps coming up the stairs. The three of us exchanged looks of confusion.

"Excuse me!" Yui cried out as she entered the room, this time with a bucket in her hands.

"Eh?"

SPLASH!

Mio and Satoshi got out of the way just in time. I, on the other hand, was not as fortunate. My clothes were soaking wet again; not even five minutes have passed since I last got wet! When they said water therapy, I never had this in mind!

"What are you-?" Pretty soon, Yui hands were roaming my chest again.

"They're not there…" she murmured to herself. I was about to push her back a little when she got up to grab the kettle on the floor.

"Oooowwww!" I cried out in pain as hot water flowed down my body. But this time I didn't let my guard down. Yui's hands were positioned for another invasion when I grabbed them with my own.

"What the heck was that for?" I asked angrily. Yui just stared at me as reply. When she did, I immediately mellowed down and released her hands. She had a contemplative look on her face.

"Sorry…" I said as I avoided her eyes. Then came a moment of silence in the room.

"So it IS true…" Yui finally said, as if it were some sort of conclusion. "I'm not dreaming!" she announced, sounding satisfied.

"Of course you're not!" I exclaimed in annoyance.

"Yui, please explain," Mio said calmly as she handed me a towel.

"Um, well you see, I thought I was dreaming. And I also thought that I heard you wrong when you said Ricchan could turn into a boy so I had to splash water on her too," Yui explained before smiling apologetically.

"But you saw! You saw!" I cried as tears ran down my face and while pointing an accusing finger at her.

"Like I said, I thought I was dreaming. But when Ricchan yelled in pain, I realized that I really was awake," Yui added.

"Aren't you supposed to hurt yourself to make sure you're awake?" Satoshi said with a hint of confusion on his face.

"Satoshi, ask no more. It's Yui, after all," Mio said with a sigh. Truly, it was best to follow Mio's advice, so we did just that.

"Ricchan, you'd better change your clothes or your condition will get worse," Yui said as she faced me. Relief washed over me as she beamed her usual smile at me.

"Uh, su-sure…" I stammered.

"But before that…"

SPLASH!

"Could you please stop doing that?"

" Ehehehe…sorry, Ricchan. It's kinda fun to watch, you see."

"Wow, this tastes great! Is this really Mugi's first cake?" I said after taking my first bite of Dobo-chan, as Yui called it. We had just finished recounting to Yui the details of how I got cursed in China, and of last night's events too. Of course, Mio and I didn't tell everything. We left out some particularly, um, intimate points. This time, during our story-telling session, a wide variety of expressions showed on Yui's face. Amazement, fear, joy, sadness, worry – they easily shifted one after the other. She even nearly cried at some point. We paused several times just to assure her that everything was going to be alright.

"It really is impressive, just by looking at it," Mio agreed while enjoying her slice.

"Isn't it?" Yui said happily.

"Hey, how many slices have you had?" I asked after sensing that she was about to get another one.

"By the way, why didn't you guys tell me about the curse right away?" Yui asked as she settled her empty saucer on the table. Trying to dodge the question, eh? But since she looks like she isn't going to get another slice, might as well answer her. Ugh, now I want to do the dodging.

"Cause it's weird," I blurted out without thinking. "Doesn't it freak you out?"

"Ritsu…" Mio said quietly. I thought I already got over it, but I guess haven't yet. Not completely.

"Nope," Yui replied simply. "It just makes you more interesting."

Yui's words took me by surprise. I guess Mio wasn't expecting them too, judging by the look on her face.

"Um, how do I put it?" Yui continued nervously. The intensity of our gazes probably made her feel that way. "Azunyan is Azunyan. Mugi-chan is Mugi-chan. Mio-chan is Mio-chan. And," she turned to face me, "Ricchan is Ricchan. The way you look on the outside doesn't change who you are. Even if you turned into a monkey instead of a boy, you'd still be among my best friends because you're Ricchan."

It's strange how the simple words of an airhead can also be so profound. And encouraging. A huge grin spread on my face.

"Come here, you!" I said as I locked Yui in a chokehold-sort-of hug. "So you want me to become monkey, eh?"

"Ricchan…have some more of Dobo-chan…o-kay?" she offered while trying to escape.

"You two'd better stop before someone gets hurt," Mio warned. And yet, she was also smiling at us.

"Rikkun!" Yui exclaimed out of the blue when I released her.

"Huh?" Mio and I looked at her questioningly.

"From now on, we'll call you Rikkun whenever you're a boy and we're around people you don't want to reveal you real identity to. Like an alias!" Yui said.

"Riku, huh? It think it's suit you," Mio agreed.

"Riku, Riku, Riku," I repeated, trying to get the feel of it. "Riku, Riku, Riku…

"Riku. I like it! Way to go, Yui!" I said happily.

Tainaka Riku. Cousin of HTT's president and drummer. The new persona I have to bear whenever the need arises. With a new identity to help cover up my secret, and with added support from two of my closest friends, I returned to school the day after the next with the confidence needed to take on the challenges ahead.

"But they can't be that bad, right? I mean, what can happen?" I told Mio on our way to the classroom.

Mio stopped walking and looked at me anxiously. "Now we know that something's definitely going to happen."

It didn't take long for me to find out if she were right.

* * *

><p>Read Me: I intend to make this story rather long, so it won't be ending anytime soon. Definitely not with the pace I'm going. I'm sort of having trouble motivating myself to continue sometimes, but I do want to finish this story. Any suggestions for self-motivation?<p>

Aaaanyway, thank you for reading! I'll try to make the next chapter more exciting. Longer too. 'Til next time! XD


	5. Worries!

Read Me: I am so sorry for the delay. And for this short chapter. No excuses here. Again, I am so sorry. I will continue this story, so please give it another chance.

Also, can we pretend that Yui and everyone else met Satoshi before they had their field trip to Kyoto? I've already messed the canonical timeline of the anime with the new turn I've taken this story to so…please bear with me. Thaaanks…

* * *

><p><strong>Ritsu<strong>

"I can't wait to visit the shrines there!" exclaimed an excited voice to my right.

"I've heard about the Monkey Park in Arashiyama. Maybe we could check that place out, too," chimed in a second voice from behind me.

"Kinkaku-ji! Kinkaku-ji!" chanted another voice that sounded too eager to my liking.

All around me, animated chatter about our upcoming field trip to Kyoto went on. It was probably the only thing that was on my dear classmates' minds right now; they've been going on and on about it ever since Sawa-chan brought it up during homeroom this morning. Yeah, I couldn't blame them for getting this excited about it. After all, it was one of the few major things we get do to as a class before we finally graduate from high school. Heck, right about now I would have probably been among the loudest (if not the loudest) one babbling about all the cool and fun stuff we could do in Kyoto. There's just this one, tiny thing that was keeping me from unrestrained excitement: a curse that makes me transform into a boy whenever I'm splashed with cold water.

See? Nothing big, right? Nothing big at all. The field trip just makes…what? More than two day's worth of countless opportunities to reveal my biggest secret to not just one, but TWO entire classes from my year? Which is more than enough to spread said secret to the entire school, which in turn would spread it to the entire country, which in turn would spread it to the entire world…! And if it's true that we're not alone in the universe, then that would mean -

"Don't let that hyperactive imagination of yours get the better of you," cut a cool voice into my thoughts. Bah! It was about time she got here. I didn't even need to look up from my desk to see who it was.

"Jusenkyooo…Jusenkyooo…" was the most enthusiastic response I could muster. A sigh. Then, a gentle shake to my shoulder. Finally, I looked up from my desk where I had concealed my head within my wrapped arms for the past couple of minutes. Mio tried to keep her expression neutral, but I knew her too well to miss the worry her eyes conveyed.

"Jusenkyo? Is that another well-known tourist spot in Kyoto? Hehe, I've never heard of it though!" said one of my classmates, Saeki Mika, as she entered my line of vision. She and two of her other close friends, Satou Akane and Taki Eri, were the ones engaged in the conversation I couldn't help listening to due to its volume and proximity.

"So sorry Ricchan! Were we being too loud?" apologized Akane with a slight bow. I tried to dismiss her apology with a wave of my hand before flashing her what I hoped looked like a reassuring smile.

"No worries, no worries. I'm just a little tired, that's all." Akane looked relieved after hearing this. Eri, though, seemed to examine me before deciding to speak.

"But you don't seem like your usual self today, Ricchan," Eri said thoughtfully. "You're lacking those…energy bursts."

_Energy bursts?!_

"Now that Eri's mentioned it...you do seem under the weather, Ricchan," Mika said as she turned to examine me, too. "Wanna watch us practice today after school? You might be able to absorb some of our energy by watching us in a super, hyper energetic volleyball match!"

_Super, hyper energetic volleyball match?!_ Just what kind of person do these people think I am? I glanced at Mio, who gave me a little nod of confirmation before I answered the trio with the excuse she and I came up with before coming to school.

"I'll be fine, really. My body's just a little sore from the bicycle accident I had the other day," I sorta gestured to myself, hoping for the excuse to put an end to their questions this time.

"Bicycle accident?"

Waaaaah…! Eri-chaaan, I have nothing against your curiosity, but can't you investigate on Himeko's love life instead or something equally mysterious?

"Intense," Mio suddenly said which immediately made everyone's attention shift to her. "The bicycle accident, I mean. The one that caused her to miss school for two days."

Recognition dawned on the trio's faces, and it seemed that they'd run out of questions to ask. Or at least, the craving to satisfy their curiosity died out.

"Oh yeah, that," Eri noted with regret. "Sorry to hear about what happened to you. I didn't really mean to pry."

Then, the unexpected comment that made Mio blush like crazy and probably would've made me choke on my tea had I been drinking any came: "It's a good thing you have Mio-chan, though. It was so sweet of her to skip school just so she could nurse you back to health. For a star student like her to miss more than a day of school...now that's true love!"

And Eri actually winked at me. She _winked_. I felt my jaw drop to the floor at the gesture.

"Eri! Don't tease them like that!" Akane reprimanded her delirious friend quickly. She muttered another apology and wished me well before excusing their group and headed off with both Mika and Eri in tow.

"Akane, next time I fall ill, you'll nurse me back to health too, won't you?"

"There you go again, Eri…"

"You're always welcome to watch us play, Ricchan!"

We were long out of the earshot of the three before Mio and I finally recovered from the totally uncalled-for comment.

"What the heck was that all about?" I blurted out the moment my eyes met with Mio's.

"I never expounded on the reasons for my absence…" her voice trailed off as she redirected her focus to my desk.

Well, whatever prompted Eri to make that comment doesn't really matter. Sure, Mio did skip school to nurse me back to health, but that didn't really mean anything, right? That's what friends do. It's not like she loves me loves me, right? But if she actually does…it's not like it's a bad thing, right? It's Mio, after all. Wait, then does that mean I like her in that way?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop right there, Tainaka. More pressing issues to discuss here at the moment. Gotta focus on the field trip. Right, the field trip.

I cleared my throat in an attempt to get Mio's attention.

"A-anyway, about the field trip…" I began.

"Oh, yes. That," Mio said quite hesitantly, her uneasiness given away by her slight fidgeting. Heh, I'll never grow tired of seeing this side of Mio. This really cute side of hers that just – Waaaah! Dammit, my thoughts have been derailed again!

"I'm not going," I abruptly said without thinking. This got Mio's attention, since she managed to look me straight in the face at last.

"What? Ritsu, there's no need make a decision that rash!" Mio said with a hint of panic, her palms planted firmly on my desk after slamming them lightly on it. Not quite the reaction I was expecting. I had even winced a bit in surprise. Mio looked surprised too as she slowly withdrew her hands from my desk.

"Think about it carefully," she continued, calmly this time. "Mugi's really excited about going on a field trip with all of us there. Imagine how she'd feel once she learns about you bailing out. You don't want to disappoint her, do you? Imagine how sad she'd feel…"

I couldn't help the playful grin that spread across my face as I looked up to Mio and said, "You sure it's just Mugi I'll be disappointing if I don't come?"

"Idiot," was all she could say as she averted her gaze, her cheeks slightly puffed and a soft red tinting her features.

How am I supposed to get any thinking done when Akiyama Mio emits dangerously high levels of moe that can threaten any brain's normal functions? Especially mine.

* * *

><p>Read Me: So…did any of you guess about the thing in the end mentioned in the previous chapter turning out to be the field trip? Someone mentioned something about swimming class, and with permission, I might try incorporating the idea in a future chapter.<p>

Anyway, if you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see happen during the field trip, please let me know. I already have a general idea as to what I want to happen (which involves a student from class 3-2 who's not a member of Houkago Tea Time meeting the male Ritsu), but I'd like to know your ideas too.

Thanks again for reading!


	6. Raincoat!

**Mio**

It was the day before the field trip. We were dismissed earlier than usual from school so we could have the extra time needed to finalize (or for some us, _begin_) our preparations for our stay at Kyoto. Having already completed my own preparations, I decided to check on a certain someone who had very likely initiated a luggage-packing frenzy the moment they got home.

After all, not even the potential exposure of her biggest secret is enough to keep Tainaka Ritsu from procrastinating.

Bracing myself for the barrage of excuses, complaints and begging that, more often than not, accompanied Ritsu's rushing, I took a deep breath and readied to push the doorbell of their residence. I had barely lifted my hand from my side when their front door suddenly slid wide open, revealing a tall figure that looked down at me with indignant eyes.

"What took you? I was just about to get you, you know!" sounded the deep voice of Ritsu. In boy mode.

"W-what?" was the best response I could come back with. I tried to inject as much of my own indignation for the less-than-polite welcome, but instead my reply came out as a nervous stammer. I couldn't help it. I was caught off-guard. The last time I saw Ritsu in this form was weeks ago, when Yui had come to visit us with Mugi's cake. I cursed myself inwardly when my eyes automatically landed on his torso. He was wearing a rather form-fitting shirt that drew attention to the muscles on his chest, arms and abdomen. They looked firmer and more defined than before. Not that I had paid more attention than was necessary to those particular body parts last time. Don't get the wrong idea.

"You were supposed to be here hours ago, remember?" Ritsu continued, oblivious to the strange fascination I had shown his body the moment he appeared on the opposite side of the door. I quickly pulled myself together and did my best to stop reflecting on what it felt like to run my hands across those muscles. I should be mad at him for being so demanding, not feeling anything even remotely close to attraction towards him. I am in serious need of self-evaluation.

"No, I don't. Remind me again why I should be here," I said, this time succeeding in expressing some annoyance. I folded my arms across my chest and looked Ritsu straight in the eye, which is easier said than done due to the significant height difference. He held my gaze, defiantly at first, and for the next minute we just stood there staring at each other.

Before long, I wanted to turn away and hide the blush that was sure to come. But there was always this more stubborn, unyielding side of me that only Ritsu could bring out, especially when she challenged me. So why should I give in to _him_ now? I hardened my gaze even more.

Finally, Ritsu's eyes softened and he looked away.

"Fine. You win this round."

I smirked with satisfaction and made my way through him. With my back turned against him, I quietly let out a sigh of relief as I rested a palm on my chest. Weird. It turned out my heart had started pounding during our staring contest. I tried not to think of it anymore as I arranged my shoes along with all the other footwear in the shoe shelf. Only when I stepped into the entrance hall did I realize that Ritsu and I weren't alone.

"For a second there, I thought you two were going to kiss," said the woman in the entrance hall casually, despite the apparent interest she observed us with.

"Oh, good afternoon, Shizuka-san!" I said, bowing rather deeply to acknowledge Ritsu's mother. I hadn't seen her for a long time, and was quite unsure of how to approach her, so I settled for formality. But before I could even straighten myself up, I felt gentle arms envelope me into a warm hug.

"No need for such stiffness, Mio-chan," Shizuka-san said kindly, making my heart swell with joy for the affectionate gesture. I returned the hug with just as much sincerity as it was given.

"We were so not going to kiss," Ritsu mumbled over at the side. "Jeez, Mom, the ideas you get into your head…"

Wordlessly, Shizuka-san reached out with her free arm, gave Ritsu his share of a loving squeeze before planting a kiss to each of our foreheads.

"There. Maybe someday I could kiss your children like this, too," she said, releasing us with a hopeful smile on her face.

Ritsu immediately took a step away from his mother, his stance defensive. "Mom! Mio and I aren't giving you grandkids!"

"I never mentioned you doing so, dear."

"But you -! You said-! Ugh! Forget it!"

And with that, Ritsu stomped off to his room without sparing another glance in our direction. And with that, I realized that my heart had again doubled its effort to pump 25% of my blood to various parts of my body, and the remaining 75% to my face. To have other people tease the both of us is one thing, to have family do the same is another…

Wait, did I just refer to Shizuka-san as family?

But I only see her as family because she treats me like a daughter too, right?

It definitely has nothing to do with our grandchildren.

_Our _grandchildren?!

"Mio-chan." Shizuka-san put a hand on my shoulder. I somehow managed to regain a little composure. "Thank you for being a true friend to Ritsu and for being there when she needed you the most. Thank you for understanding. I really hope that the bond you both share as friends only becomes stronger."

I smiled and placed my hand on top of the one that was still on my shoulder. Shizuka-san truly is like a second mother to me. She never fails to show her affection and gratitude through words and actions. She used to joke around and say that she treated me like a daughter of her own because her real daughter was bound to be manlier than all the other kids in the neighborhood. I guess there was some truth to the idea, after all.

"Well, I believe it's best that you scurry along before he starts another riot," Shizuka-san said, her eyes reflecting the same golden hue her children inherited from her as they twinkled with delight. "It was nice seeing you again, Mio-chan."

"The feeling's mutual, Shizuka -san," I said happily before giving her another hug. "Don't worry; I'll keep a close eye on him. I'll make sure he gets everything packed."

As I headed for the stairway, I heard Shizuka-chan mumble behind me, "Oh, Mio-chan, what am I going to do without you?"

* * *

><p>"Ugh, Ritsu, what am I suppose to do with you?"<p>

I sighed as I massaged my throbbing temples. Just one look around Ritsu's room, and already a headache was underway. From the bed, to the floor, to the table in the middle of his room lay the wide assortment of objects I could only hope he wasn't planning on bringing.

"Please tell me you're not planning to bring all of these…"

"Course not!" Ritsu was quick to reply. He snatched two of the garments that lay on his bed and held them up for me to see. "I'm just having some trouble deciding on which to bring."

"Wait…are those raincoats?" I said once I recognized what he was holding. I motioned to the pile of clothing next to the table. "_Those_ look like raincoats, too. What's with the sudden interest?"

Ritsu only grinned at me sheepishly.

"Not another random collection. Spare me from any more of your random collections…"

"That's not it, Mio."

Without warning, Ritsu whipped an umbrella seemingly out of nowhere. He opened it and gave it a little twirl.

"I've decided to invest in rain gear. Best precaution I could think of."

It was true. The investing part, not the part about rain gear being the best precaution. After eyeing his room again carefully (despite the apparent health hazard for doing so), I noticed various kinds of umbrellas, raincoats, more than a pair of elastic boots, and even some goggles scattered about. And somewhere near the corner of his room was a pile of something that suspiciously looked like** teru teru bozu**.

Unlike Ritsu, I don't take particular enjoyment in watching my best friend get flustered or in poking fun at their fears and anxieties. However, there are times when the actions that result from Ritsu's worrying and agitation can be so overwhelmingly silly and, I admit, even adorable that I couldn't prevent any physical manifestations of my amusement from showing.

So I started giggling.

"Great," Ritsu grumbled, umbrella still in hand. He waved it towards me. "As if keeping the curse a secret isn't hard enough, now I've gotta deal with a crazy Mio, too."

Maybe it was my exhaustion, maybe it was the anxiety I felt for Ritsu, maybe it was the silliness of his actions or maybe, just as he had mentioned, I was going crazy. But for some reason, I couldn't stop the waves of laughter that washed over my body.

At first, Ritsu just rolled his eyes at me. When I still hadn't stopped, he shook his head a little. Then, a smile slowly crept across his face. And finally, just like many times before, he joined me in uncontrolled laughter that was so senseless that it actually made sense to us.

By the time our laughter died out, I was already sitting next to Ritsu on his bed, folding his clothes and stacking them in neat piles while he lay stretched out behind me on his back. Although I still felt a bit self-conscious being so close to a boy, I was rather comfortable with our position and was more relaxed than I had been earlier. Seems that all we needed to do was let go of some control in order to gain the sort of control we needed over ourselves.

"Mio," Ritsu called out, cutting the brief silence that stretched between us.

I turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

"Teru teru bozu!" he exclaimed, holding the said teru teru bozu right in front of my face while wearing a ridiculously serious expression on his own.

He paused, waiting for my reaction.

I simply raised an eyebrow.

"Teru! Teru! BO-ZUUU!" he repeated, this time with exaggerated gestures for emphasis.

Behold: Tainaka Ritsu, Champion of the Mundane.

"No rain gear for Kyoto, Ritsu," I replied calmly as I turned my back against him.

From behind me, Ritsu let out a groan and I smiled at the sound, realizing that I had already developed a liking to his deep voice. Of course (although I'll never admit it out loud), I will always hold a special kind of fondness for his feminine voice, annoying as it can be at times. It was actually one of the things I missed the most about him during his stay in China. Still, I wish he'd stop worrying so much about the changes brought about by the curse. They never really even bothered me in the least. I've already began to embrace the changes, and I've even started to appreciate some of them. Just like…

The earlier image of well-built and finely honed muscles flashed through my mind.

I quickly shook my head to clear the treacherous thought, and as I looked down to focus on the garment I was folding, I noticed that I was actually holding –

"So sorry, Mio!" Ritsu muttered, hastily grabbing the striped boxers from my hands.

And for the first time that day, Ritsu was actually redder than I was.

And for the first time for what was going to be a long time, I realized that the curse could bring bigger changes than we originally thought.

* * *

><p>AN: **Teru teru bozu** - A small, ghost-like doll that is traditionally used by Japanese people to prevent rain. The name literally means "shiny shiny Buddist monk" and it was originally designed to somewhat look like one - it very vaguely resembles a bald man. Children traditionally hang these in a window frame when they wanted the next day to have good weather.

Aaanyway, is this chapter even necessary? Or am I just stalling? I'm not so sure. I hope you like it anyway.

Next chapter is definitely happening in Kyoto, though.

I hope I'll have your continued support.

Oh, and thanks for reading!


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